While the sun begins to set beyond Carlisle Lake in Onalaska, Johnny Garcia, a longtime science teacher at Onalaska High School, stands inside the Herold Observatory on the elementary school grounds in January.
Onalaska High School science teacher Johnny Garcia is planning to host a viewing session at Onalaska’s Herold Observatory on Friday night so long as the weather cooperates.
“It currently sounds like we will have better viewing than last week,” noted Garcia in an email to The Chronicle.
The Herold Observatory houses a 24-inch telescope built low to the ground in order to accommodate school-age astronomers. The high-powered telescope can be used to view galaxies, nebula, star clusters, planets and the moon, among other celestial delights.
Viewing will begin at dark and continue until interest has waned. Visitors are welcome to bring blankets and their own sky gazing tools in order to facilitate their own viewing parties on the lawn that surrounds the observatory.
Evening clouds have obscured night skies on previous attempts to gaze at the heavens from the high-powered telescope, so Garcia is asking that people check the weather before making the trek to Onalaska for stargazing. Garcia suggests that interested parties check the observatory website at https://sites.google.com/a/onysd.wednet.edu/observatory/ for updates on the weather and viewing schedule.
The Herold Observatory is located at the north end of Onalaska Elementary School in a large open field. A neon sign marking the location is clearly visible from Carlisle Avenue in front of the school. For additional information or to schedule a different day for viewing call 360-330-1745.
